Desert Garden Habitats are Part Larger Project at Church, Called Sacred Grounds
RANCHO MIRAGE — Three new desert garden habitats have been created in Rancho Mirage and are open to the public.
The habitats are on the grounds of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert and include the creosote scrub habitat, blow sand habitat, and pollinator habitat including the pollinator promenade, the butterfly garden, the hummingbird garden and the bee habitat.
The habitats were dedicated on Sunday Jan. 26 after a service titled “Loving our Home, the Earth.” Congregants and guests scattered seeds of desert plants such as globe mallow and desert marigold on the gardens and planted seedlings donated by the Living Desert.
Numerous birds, insects and lizards are reportedly already enjoying the desert landscaping.
The new habitats are part of a larger project at the church, called Sacred Grounds, that also includes a Desert Canyon Habitat and a Celebration Garden. All the habitats are dedicated to desert plants that support insects, birds and other wildlife unique to the desert and are open to the public to encourage desert-friendly gardening on a broader scale. The National Wildlife Federation has certified the gardens as habitat for wildlife.
“We hope these gardens will encourage homeowners to convert their own yards and thereby learn more about our native species, learn to love our desert, and want to protect it,” said Rod Belshee, a member of the Sacred Grounds team that developed the garden habitats.
The concept of Sacred Grounds for UUCOD springs from a deep spiritual foundation, according to the church website. By supporting the native plant and animal life we bring ourselves into relationship with them. Our focus shifts off of our rigid self-interest to something greater than ourselves, and then naturally our own concerns gently shrink and heal. The vision of Sacred Grounds is to support the native plants and animals and also to make a refuge for humans. In reality, those two are the interconnected.
Our 2.5 acre grounds provide habitat for native plants and animals, contemplation spaces for meditation and remembrance, a 60-feet diameter Peace Labyrinth, and artwork by Gene Kain.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert, 72425 Via Vail, is a sanctuary for diversity, spiritual growth and social justice. Additional information about the church and about upcoming services and events is available at uucod.org
Image Sources
- Diane labyrinth: Diane Carmony
- desert garden habitats: Diane Carmony